1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a content output apparatus and a content output method which output a content to a storage device via a network. In addition, the present invention relates to a content acquisition apparatus which acquire a content from a storage device via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
As well known, upon recording a content in a shared storage device from a predetermined device on a network, there are two cases, namely, a case where a content is recorded remaining in a plain sentence and a case where a content is recorded while applying a local encryption to the content. The local encryption is an encryption processing that can be encrypted only by an encrypted device in order to prevent the outflow of data to the network from the viewpoint of copyright protection.
In the meantime, in consideration of a data distribution system using the network growing increasingly diverse, there is a possibility in future that a local-encrypted content recorded in a storage device is allowed to be reproduced even by a device other than the encrypted one, for example, under a special contract.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-133654 discloses a technique in which a system for demodulating encrypted and distributed content data by using license data including an encryption key carries out user authentication in units of license data in such a manner that user information to identify a user is included in the license data and the system can decrypt the content data when the user is determined to be appropriate.